IPL 2022, KKR preview: The Iyers and the mystery spinners

Captain: Shreyas Iyer

Coaching Staff: Brendon McCullum (head coach), Abhishek Nayar (assistant coach), B Arun (bowling coach), Omkar Salvi (assistant bowling coach) and James Foster (fielding coach)

Owner: Knight Riders Sports Private Ltd


Best Performance: Winners 2012, 2014

2021 Performance: Runners-up. Lost to CSK in the Final

SQUAD

Shreyas Iyer (c), Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, Venkatesh Iyer, Pat Cummins, Nitish Rana, Shivam Mavi, Sheldon Jackson, Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, Rasikh Dar, Baba Indrajith, Chamika Karunaratne, Abhijeet Tomar, Pratham Singh, Ashok Sharma, Sam Billings, Aaron Finch, Tim Southee, Ramesh Kumar, Mohammad Nabi, Umesh Yadav

Players’ Availability

Aaron Finch, who came in after Alex Hales pulled out of the IPL citing bubble fatigue, will not be available for the first handful of games due to Australia’s white-ball series against Pakistan which will conclude on April 5. Pat Cummins is flying back to Australia after the Pakistan Test series to attend Shane Warne’s memorial on March 30. He will miss first three matches. With New Zealand set to tour England for three Tests in early June, Tim Southee may have to miss the playoffs and the final should KKR make it that far.

Batting

Last year, KKR made a sharp turnaround in the second half of the season played in the UAE. One of the main reasons for the change in their fortunes was Venkatesh Iyer. This year they have two Iyers in the team after acquiring Shreyas Iyer in the auction. Fortunately for KKR, both the Iyers are in form. Venkatesh, who scored 370 runs last season, continued his good form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy scoring 155 runs at a strike rate of 140. He also made his India debut and impressed with his blistering cameos against the West Indies. Although he played as a finisher for India, KKR would like him to open the innings, like last year.

For Shreyas, everything seems to be falling in place. At Rs 12.25 crore, he became the most expensive pure batter picked in the auction. He reeled off three back-to-back fifties in the T20Is against Sri Lanka to win Player of the Series. He was Player of the Match in the only ODI he played against West Indies and then in second Test match against Sri Lanka. Then KKR made him the captain, a confidence booster after Delhi Capitals refused to reinstate him as the captain last year.

This season could provide a lifeline for Ajinkya Rahane, who has lost his place in the Indian team and often find himself on the bench in the IPL. At KKR, Rahane is likely to get a good run at the top of the order, a position that suits his playing style. His strike rate isn’t promising but they don’t have any other good options. Sam Billings, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Pat Cummins make a strong lower order.


Bowling

KKR have an enviable ensemble of bowlers. They have three mystery spinners in Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarty and Ramesh Kumar. For pace, they have Cummins, Umesh Yadav and Shivam Mavi. They also have Tim Southee for control and to exploit the new ball. Add to that the all-round options in Russell, Mohammad Nabi and Venkatesh. Their bowling will likely pivot around Narine and Chakravathy’s spin. And if the rest of the bowlers can support the duo, it will be a huge challenge for the opposition to post a big total or chase a target against the two time champions.

Potential Playing XI

1. Venkatesh Iyer, 2. Ajinkya Rahane, 3. Shreyas Iyer (c), 4. Nitish Rana, 5. Sam Billings (wk), 6. Andre Russell, 7. Sunil Narine, 8. Pat Cummins, 9. Shivam Mavi, 10. Umesh Yadav, 11. Varun Chakravarthy